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13 Legendary Celeb Legacies That Were Sadly Ruined

Isn’t it upsetting to see such talented stars ruin their lives through the use of alcohol, drugs, and bad decision-making? It’s even more frustrating when those celebrities end up dying from their mistakes, often giving people the impression that they’ve totally wasted the gift they had been blessed with.

We’ve seen it time and time again where a celebrity abuses their power for the worst and ends up hurting themselves emotionally and physically. All in all, these 13 celebrities are no different, having all gone through similar routes to tarnish their own legacy.

13 Michael Jackson

To say that Michael Jackson was talented is an understatement. Michael, who certainly had one of the biggest influences in music, made millions throughout his career, has sold the most albums by a solo male artist, and evidently had the most Billboard Hot 100 entries prior to his death. But Michael was secretly battling a drug addiction, and thanks to the help of shamed Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson was always able to get his hands on propofol, the same substance that would end his life on June 25, 2009.

12 Lindsay Lohan

11 Bill Cosby

The name Bill Cosby has forever been tarnished following the allegations that were made against him by dozens of women, claiming the actor had drugged and sexually assaulted them on multiple occasions. All of the incidents reportedly took place during the 80's and 90's, and one of the reasons why the women supposedly didn’t come forward back then was solely down to the fact that nobody would’ve believed them. But as one woman had the courage to make it known to the press of her encounters with Bill, the likes of Janice Dickinson soon followed in support.

10 Lil' Kim

9 Amy Winehouse

When Amy Winehouse unveiled her debut album Frank at the age of just 20, she seemed happy and healthy. But just two years later, she would make her return with Back to Black, an album dedicated to her then-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, who many would go on to blame for the songstress’ sudden downfall after admitting that Amy’s first time taking drugs was in his presence. Amy’s drug habit worsened the longer she stayed with Blake, but when the two finally split, Winehouse turned to alcohol to ease the pain she was feeling while Civil was in prison, serving time for a crime he had committed a year prior to Amy’s death. Alcohol poisoning would eventually kill Amy at her home in Camden in July, 2011.

8 Whitney Houston

When people think of Whitney Houston, they often label her as the voice of an angel, and for the most part, Whitney had a great voice — that was before she began taking drugs. The singer, who was very much in denial when it came to her drug addiction, reportedly developed the habit once she got with Bobby Brown, and by the mid 90's, Whitney was hooked. So much so that her music career began to tank after the early 2000's, and by 2012, her drug addiction worsened to the point where it killed her, just one day before the Grammys.

7 Paula Deen

6 O.J. Simpson

5 Tiger Woods

4 Britney Spears

3 David Arquette

2 Cory Monteith

Many of us were left stunned when it was announced in 2013 that Cory Monteith had died. The actor, who was found dead in his Vancouver hotel room, had been battling a drug addiction for years, and while reports had shed light on it prior to his death, many didn’t believe it because Cory just never gave people that perception. His passing was very sad considering the fact that he had just signed two deals as a lead actor in movies that would’ve helped him develop a career in the film industry, away from Glee, the show that made him a household name. Cory had a promising career ahead, that’s for sure.

1 Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger’s death came following a sudden cardiac arrest at his New York home, having dealt with a perception drug addiction for years. The actor, who spent most of his time on his own in New York, was left for dead in his apartment for hours before he was eventually found, which makes the story so much more upsetting. Heath had just finished shooting scenes for The Dark Knight, which critics would go on to say was his best performance to date.